Little By Little
by welshrose
Summary: Something will change Casper and Kat forever.
1. Chapter 1

_Little by Little_, a Casper fanfic.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This will be chapter one of (probably) four.

_Winter_

Winter had arrived in Maine. Snow dusted the many turreted roof of Whipstaff Manor, owned by the wealthy McFadden family, and a cold wind blew from the sea below the cliff on which the house was precariously perched. The cold associated with this most barren of seasons was not felt by the six inhabitants of the house--three living, three dead.

Inside, perched on a sofa in the parlour of the grand mansion, sat Kathleen (better known as Kat) and Casper McFadden. Kat, with pin-straight chestnut brown hair and soft brown eyes, sat next to Casper, a sandy blonde man with piercing blue eyes, watching a re-run of an old television programme, with Kat's head resting on her husband's shoulder. They had been married six months ago. For average newlywed couples, this event would be utterly unremarkable--if the groom hadn't been a ghost for nearly 100 years. Three years ago, Casper McFadden had been brought back to life after having died at the age of twelve from pneumonia, via his eccentric father J.T. McFadden's resurrection machine, The Lazarus. Once alive, winter had always been a sore subject for the young man. The memories of his death during this season undoubtedly disturbed him.

Kat's father, the famed parapsychologist Dr. James Harvey, a man with greying brown hair and eyes the of the same shade of brown his hair once was, was busy cooking a pot roast in the kitchen. The three of them now lived in Whipstaff Manor, which sat on the outskirts of the tiny town of Friendship. The mansion was commissioned by J.T. once he had made an incredible amount of money on the lobster exporting business, which, to be frank, surprised everyone.

The three non-living residents--that is to say, The Ghostly Trio--were out having fun "scaring fleshies" in town. While the Trio--Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso-- were normally nowhere to be found during the day, often lurking around the house, there was an ice rink erected every year in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and the Trio took it upon themselves to scare the happy skaters as an early Christmas present.

"Hey, kids," called Dr. Harvey. "We're ready to go in here,". Casper and Kat slowly got up from the sofa, watching Dr. Harvey's retreating back. Kat turned to her husband. "D'you really think we should we tell him tonight?" she inquired, her voice a whisper. "If you're ready, babe," Casper replied, giving her hand a quick squeeze. Kat nodded her confirmation, and the pair went to join the parapsychologist in the kitchen for supper.

There was a strange silence as Dr. Harvey seated himself opposite his daughter and son-in-law. Normally, the three of them would be chatting about how each other's day had gone, or make general small talk about the weather and such. This evening, Dr. Harvey couldn't help but notice his only child seemed…nervous, and had not yet touched any of the food on her plate. Casper was staring out the window, trying hard to fixate on a spider crawling across a pane of leaded glass. "Uh, is there something going on?" inquired Dr. Harvey in a curious sort of tone. This made Kat, who had been taking a sip of water from a glass next to her dinner plate, to nearly drop the glass, while Casper started as if doused with cold water. They glanced at each other, and then at Dr. Harvey. "Well…" began Casper, looking down at his hands. "We…we're…" he attempted. "Pregnant." finished Kat, who was slightly surprised at the words she had just spoken. Kat suddenly felt the urge to vomit, and quickly excused herself from the table, rushing to the nearest toilet.

The two men left in the room sat in silence, until Dr. Harvey let out a low whistle. "So…does this mean I should take up knitting?" he asked sheepishly. Casper laughed.

When Kat returned, looking a little pale, she sat down at her seat, as though she had not broken any monumental, life-changing news. "Well," she started, looking at her father, "What do you think?". "I think you'll be a wonderful mother, maybe even a rival to your own," said Dr. Harvey in all seriousness, though with a smile on his lined face. "Here, here," called Casper, who raised his glass of merlot wine in cheer, and pecked his wife on the cheek. The three of them raised their glasses in a toast to new life. At that moment, The Ghostly Trio arrived, flying through the kitchen. "So," shouted Stretch. "What'd we miss?".


	2. Chapter 2

_Spring_

A/N: The next chapter will be rated M for a flashback sequence...but I think it's a tasteful M (I AM a Catholic, after all). It's totally skipable if you wish. Also, I used the Metric system of weights (pounds instead of stone).

Winter was now giving way to spring. The early afternoon sun shone brightly on the sea outside Whipstaff. The snow had finally melted, and tufts of green grass and purple crocus popped up in the garden. In the kitchen, Kat McFadden stood poised as close to the kitchen counter as she could, as her burgeoning belly now protruded well past her feet. At six months pregnant, she had gained about 55 pounds, which only really showed in her legs and face. Nonetheless, Kat was unbothered by this fact. The only thing that had really irked her in the past month was that she had to drive ninety minutes to see her obstetrician, and the occasional return of the morning sickness she suffered throughout her first trimester. Now well into her second trimester, she and Casper had decided to keep the baby's sex a secret until he or she arrived. As Kat began to halve an avocado for the salad she planned to eat for lunch, she began to wonder about what her husband was doing at that moment.

Three years ago, after he had become human again, Casper decided he had to find a job. When one had not set foot inside a school for over a hundred years, this would be a seemingly difficult task. However, Kat decided that would not be a problem. As Casper was revived at 18, he would be finished with high school. After harmlessly changing some dates on official records such as a permanent school record and birth certificate, Kat had made Casper go from grade six, the grade he was in at the time of his death, to grade twelve in a matter of minutes. Of course, Casper would need at least some of the knowledge that a student obtains in those formulative years, so Kat set about tutoring him on a daily basis, until finally his education was as good as hers. He was soon able to get a GED (General Education Development).

With his new knowledge firmly in place and a GED to flaunt, Casper was able to start looking for a job. After all, he had to provide for Kat somehow. Kat had decided at seventeen she wanted to follow her father in to the medical profession, and nursing seemed to be something everyone—she included—thought she'd be good at. Kat decided to go to Central Maine Community College, about an hour and a half away in Auburn. However, she was reluctant to leave Casper alone. One day, she offhandedly remarked to him that he could come with her—as a student. That way they could spend more time together, and Casper would be able to be better qualified for a job he actually wanted, rather than forced to take.

"_C'mon, you'll have fun! I promise," said Kat.   
"But…d'you really think I could?" asked Casper, unsure and doubting himself.  
"I know you can," she said, and gave him a peck on the cheek. _

And with that, the young couple was off to school, Casper for the first time in decades. Casper decided he wanted to study architecture engineering, after spending years pouring over his father's blueprints, and had even dabbled in carpentry for the Trio. Besides, Whipstaff needed several repairs…

Kat and Casper lived on campus in separate buildings, but spent time with each other as often as possible. Soon, two years had passed, and each had obtained associate degrees in their chosen fields. Kat got a job at a local hospital and Casper began work as an engineer for a local architectural firm. Both were able to work flexible schedules, earn good money, and were happy with the outcome. A year later they were married. And now, little by little, things were changing.

Later that night, once dinner had been eaten and house grew quiet, Casper and Kat laid in bed together. Kat was musing on recent events. The baby was conceived in October, would be born sometime in July, and it was now the middle of April. Would she be ready to be a mother? She had been forced to go through most of her life without her own mother, which was especially hard during her teenage years. Despite Dr. Harvey and Casper's constant reassurance, Kat still had nagging doubts. "Casper?" she whispered through the darkness. "Yeah, babe? What's the matter?" she heard him reply anxiously. She knew he had been trying to sleep, but from his tone he was now wide awake. "Something wrong?" he inquired. Concerned for Kat, he flipped on the lamp on the bedside table, which cast a warm glow about the room.

"D'you think I can do this? Am I ready for this?"

"Of course you are. I've told you so many times—you'll be a wonderful mother. And you'll have lots of help from me, your Dad, my—well, maybe not my Uncles. But you'll have help. You don't have to go through this alone."

"I love you," Kat said quietly, kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you, too." Casper said, returning the affection.

He turned out the light, and a newly reassured Kat fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Summer, Part I_

A/N: Flashback scenes are in _italics_. This is a sequel to "Renaissance of Love", which details their wedding, so while you don't necessarily need to read that first, it would be a good idea if you want to know more about their (very fluffy, very romantic) wedding. This is my first attempt at writing serious erotica, so you are forewarned. Also, kudos to those who can spot the two (yes, two!) _Moulin Rouge!_ references.

"Good Lord, it's hot," thought Kat McFadden. She was sprawled out on the sofa in nothing but her underwear and maternity bra, trying to keep cool. Luckily, no one was home, and she had begun her maternity leave a few weeks prior. Summers in Maine were generally mild, but today's temperature climbed to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was only the first week of July. Would the whole summer be stuck in this heat wave? She longed for December. That Christmas had been especially interesting, as poor Kat could hardly keep any Christmas ham down--or much else for that matter. She and Casper had just broken the news to their families a few weeks earlier, and everyone seemed to be sensitive to the fact that Kat was expecting. Even the Ghostly Trio seemed to lay off their usual mischief in favour of pleasing a very nauseous Kat. The McFaddens were gifted with several baby necessities that year—an antique mahogany crib purchased online from an antiques dealer, ivory baby linens, and baby clothes in neutral colours such as white and yellow, as Kat and Casper had decided not to find out the sex of the baby until he or she arrived.

The next few months were filled with preparations, both physical (in Kat's case) and mental. Kat's father, renowned parapsychologist Dr. James Harvey, seemed to have difficulty coming to terms that he would be a grandfather at only fifty years old. "I mean, your mother and I didn't have you until we were almost thirty, and your grandfather was in his seventies by then," Dr. Harvey explained. "Come to think of it, I didn't figure out your Mom was pregnant until she told me. In fact, she came very close to puking all over me as she made her announcement," he reiterated, lost in thought. "I just...Gosh, I just feel too…vibrant, too active, even!" Kat laughed. "Relax, Daddy. No one expects you to use a cane—yet," she giggled. Dr. Harvey was very helpful with setting up the nursery on the second floor, near Kat and Casper's bedroom, in the room that had been Casper's own nursery. There were several humourous incidents while assembling the nursery furniture that ended in Casper and Dr. Harvey cursing and kicking at whatever piece of furniture they had been trying to assemble, be it a rocking chair, bassinet, or high chair, all of which left Kat laughing so hard she nearly fell to the floor.

And now, trying to stay cool in such heat and the changes that lay ahead, Kat was reminded of her wedding night over a year ago. The wedding itself had been very nice and everything she could have hoped for, as was the reception, but the wedding night was something she and Casper had been waiting for since the day Casper had been revived.

_Kat and Casper made their way up the stairs leading to the hotel room where they would spend the night. Kat was about to put her hand on the doorknob when Casper lifted her up and held her in his arms, and tried to open the door to carry her over the threshold…only to find the door locked. "Uh, I was just about to unlock it," said Kat sheepishly, and Casper wrestled the key one-handed from his trouser pocket, all the while being careful not to drop his bride. "I was planning on stealing that from you," giggled Kat, which earned her a peck on the cheek from her groom. Finally, Casper was able to get the door open, and carry Kat into the room. They didn't really take stock of their surroundings, as they both only had eyes for each other. He gently placed Kat on the bed, but she quickly got up and made her way to the bathroom. "Let me slip into something more comfortable," she cooed. "Aww, I wanted to watch," said Casper in mock disappointment. Kat raised an eyebrow and said, "Very well," in a seductive tone. She quietly stood there and Casper took this as an invitation to begin undressing her. He started with the buttons lining the bodice of her gown, and was pleasantly surprised to find she was wearing a white bridal corset. Casper raised his eyebrows. "I do love a challenge," he laughed. He slipped the bodice off of her shoulders and discarded it to the floor, and soon tugged off her skirt. She was now wearing only the corset, chemise, and silk stockings and garters all a pristine white. The clothing was much like something Casper's mother would have worn on her wedding day. Casper turned her around and made to start unlacing the corset, when Kat suddenly whipped around and stopped him. "You have to get naked for this, too, you know. I deserve a little entertainment," she mock chastised, wagging her finger in Casper's face. _

_With that, she pulled off the tuxedo jacket and began to unbutton his tuxedo shirt. Once that was off, she pulled off the undershirt he was wearing over his head and threw it to the floor. "I always thought those were kinda useless anyway," Casper admitted. Kat stood staring at Casper's bare chest. Kat knew there wasn't any exercise equipment in the house, but somehow Casper look really, really fit and toned. "Have you been working out?" she asked. "Me? Nah, I was just made this way!" Casper jested. "Well, OK. I'll confess, I have been going for early morning runs on the beach for the past few months while you were still asleep," he admitted, grinning. "Well, I like the results," Kat said, placing her hands on his chest, and sort of enjoying the feel of his light splattering of chest hair beneath her fingers. Casper suspected as much, and wanted to get his own hands on her chest. Kat undid Casper's belt buckle, and to help her along he placed her hands on his waist, and she pulled his pants off, leaving him only in his white boxer shorts. _

"_OK, now it's my turn," Casper said, grinning. He turned her around as he did before, and began unlacing the corset, which Kat enjoyed immensely. When the corset was loose enough, he sat Kat down on the bed. Casper got down on his knees and pulled off her opaque stockings very slowly. Once her legs and feet were bare, Casper slipped off both garters and ran his palms down her smooth legs, made Kat let out a low moan. Now all that was left was to take off the corset and chemise. Casper leaned forward and began to unhook the fastenings that lined either side of the corset, until finally it fell backwards on to the bed's wine red coverlet. The chemise was sheer, and Kat, in true authentic 19__th__ century style, wasn't wearing any underwear, but this wasn't enough for a now eager Casper. Kat stood up and he slipped off the chemise in a single stroke over her head. Now that Kat was completely naked, there was only one article of clothing needed to be removed. She tugged off his boxer shorts in less than a second, and they stood naked before each other. Casper made the first move by kissing her full on the mouth, and pulled her toward the bed, with Casper lying on top. Neither of them had done this before, but they knew enough to know that their bodies were more than ready._

_Gently, Casper lowered himself into Kat. She knew it would hurt, but she couldn't wait for what would happen afterwards. Her chocolate brown eyes met his aquamarine ones, and she nodded her consent. Kat felt pressure and whimpered, and grabbed on to his shoulder blades to keep from screaming. Casper, who had buried his face in Kat's hair, gently kissing her scalp, looked down at her. Kat smiled. "Give me more," she whispered. Casper looked down at Kat's full breasts, and stared at them as though he hadn't noticed them before. He lowered his mouth and licked each one, which made Kat moan deeply. Casper began kissing her all over her breasts and chest, reveling in the feel of the smooth white flesh beneath his lips. After he had had his fill, he began to thrust back and forth. Kat gripped Casper's hips, screaming in pure ecstasy as Casper began to thrust harder, deeper and faster, until finally they both climaxed._

_Casper withdrew from her and lay down so close to his wife their warm bodies were touching. Both were breathing hard, but smiling. Kat placed an ear directly over Casper's heart, listening to the beating organ encased beneath flesh, muscle, and bone. Neither of them could believe what had just happened. They had waited so long for that, and the experience was one they would never forget. _

_The next day, the newlyweds departed for their Irish honeymoon. They visited Cloghane on Dingle Peninsula, where they strolled hand in hand on the beach and took in the local atmosphere. They also spent plenty of time in their hotel room, as was a frequent occurrence with newlyweds, the only thing either of them wanted to was to have sex—as often as humanly possible. This trend continued once the couple returned to Whipstaff and well into the following months. Therefore, it was no surprise when Kat discovered she was pregnant a few days into December. She had been feeling ill and vomiting for a few weeks and Casper and Dr. Harvey, being typical men, thought she had caught some kind of virus, and Kat figured that the chances that Casper thought she might be pregnant were next to none. He did, after all, come back to life at eighteen, and had been fortunate not to have gone through puberty. He admitted that he had let his body take control on their wedding night, something which both of them, needless to say, enjoyed. _

_When Kat finally decided to go out and buy a pregnancy test, to her delight, the test was positive. But how would she tell Casper? She tried to think of unique ways to tell him, enlisting the help of some of her fellow nurses at the hospital where she worked, but rejected each idea that was presented to her. Casper seemed to think something was seriously wrong with her as she wasn't up for sex as often as she had been. "I mean, you spend more time in the bathroom puking than you do having sex," he lamented one day in the living room, as they sat nestled on the couch. "Well, maybe that's because--" she began, but Dr. Harvey chose at that moment to enter the room, announcing that dinner was ready. Kat said she wasn't feeling well again and both Casper and Dr. Harvey gave her a perplexed look. "I dunno...I just don't have much of an appetite, I guess," she shrugged, and made her way up the stairs. After Kat had left, Dr. Harvey turned to Casper and said, "Well, that was weird." Casper nodded in agreement. What was she hiding? She wasn't eating, couldn't sleep at night, was always wearing baggy clothes…suddenly, something clicked in Casper's head. It all made sense now. _

_After dinner, Casper went up to the bedroom he shared with Kat, who was sitting on the bench that faced the window, looking out the window at the sea. She remembered the night so long ago when Caper took her up to the lighthouse. Well, flew would be a more accurate description. She wished they could go there now, and was struck with an idea. "Hey," said Casper, and Kat looked up to find her husband leaning, arms over chest, in the doorway. "Come with me. I want to show you something," she said, and took Casper by the hand. Ironically enough, Kat was wearing something very similar to what she had worn the night she came to Whipstaff—a comfortable dark blue shirt and jeans, with her long and straight jet black hair pulled back in a ponytail. _

_Kat led him out onto the manor grounds, past the ruins in the garden, and on to the beach, where they climbed into a small motorized dingy. December was very cold in Maine, and while the waters looked calm as they set out for the lighthouse, Kat began to have second thoughts about the safety of her actions. "Oh, well. Too late now…" she thought. Casper sat in silence for a few minutes until he was struck by a memory. "This reminds of the time that we went out here. Remember that?" he asked. "Yeah, I went looking for you and found you at the very top of the lighthouse. You were waiting with roses. Of course, that was the night you proposed," she sighed, remembering the romance of his actions. _

_After a few minutes, the pair arrived at the rocky shore of the lighthouse, and they mounted the steps leading up to the building hand in hand. "This used to belong to one of my Dad's employees," said Casper. "I know," said Kat, and took Casper through a wooden door off to the side of the staircase. Beyond the door, there was a small room that looked like it hadn't been touch for decades, filled with old nautical paraphernalia. There was a small, very dusty chintz-covered sofa, and Kat and Casper sat down on it, hands still tightly clasped. "I didn't know this was here," Casper marveled. "I did some exploring by myself a few days ago," said Kat. _

"_So…uh…why did we come here?" asked Casper. "Well," she began nervously. After a short pause, she continued. "I actually wanted to tell you something…" began Kat. "Uh huh. I though as much," said Casper, nodding. "And…?" he prompted. Kat, who had been staring down at the dirty rug, looked into Casper's eyes. "I'm pregnant," said Kat simply, smiling. "I knew it!" he shouted gleefully. Kat laughed and Casper let out a low whistle. "Um, I just have one question," said Kat. "Shoot," said Casper. "How did you figure it out? I mean, you admitted you knew next to nothing about this kind of thing and…"_

"_Kat," said Casper, deadpanning. "I've seen TV and movies evolve over 50 years. After a while, it wasn't that hard to figure out what was going on. And I saw the episode of __Friends__ where Rachel got pregnant," he said as an afterthought. "Though I didn't actually realize it until tonight," he admitted in all seriousness. Kat shook her head and laughed. _

_  
"So…are you sure?" he asked. "Yeah, of course. I took one of those home pregnancy tests last week," she said. "Did you go to a doctor yet?" he asked anxiously. "No, but I'm planning on it," she confessed. "I already found someone at the hospital," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But how will we tell Dad?" she wondered aloud. "We have time for that. What we need to do now is know for sure," said Casper. Kat nodded in agreement. After a few moments, the couple went back to the house, where Dr. Harvey was already asleep in his room. Once in their room, the couple began getting ready for bed. Casper watched Kat undress, and couldn't help staring at her midriff. "I'm not showing yet," she stated. "I have no idea how far along I am, but I was thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure we conceived in October," she said. "That was some damn good sex, so I'm not at all surprised," said Casper smugly, now dressed for bed in his pajamas, which just consisted of boxer shorts. Kat gasped in mock hurt. "Don't I always perform well?" she asked, admonishing him. "Of course," acknowledged Casper. "But that was an exceptional performance," he said. _

_Now that both were ready for bed, Kat and Casper slid under the covers, and Casper rolled over and turned out the light on the bedside table. "Goodnight, baby," he said. "Who are you talking to, me or the fetus?" Kat jested. "Both," he said, giving her a kiss on the lips. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Summer, Part II_

A/N: Flashback in _italics_. I opted for American vocabulary here again, as the characters are American. After looking online, I found that "stroller" is slang for "pram", "diapers" are "nappies", and "TV show" is "programme". Just to avoid confusion… An epilogue and maybe even a sequel chronicling their day-to-day lives will soon follow. The baby's name is pronounced "Ah-day-lah"-- at least that's my personal preference.

July crawled by ever so slowly, but Kat marked days off the calendar excitedly. "Only a week to go," she thought. She now spent much of the day in the nursery, re-arranging little knickknacks and folding and re-folding baby clothes, wondering how her baby would look in them. Kat took out a white onesie with the words _Short Sheet_ emblazoned on the front in black lettering, which had been a random gift from The Trio last weekend. While The Trio probably had stolen the item, Casper and Kat were nonetheless touched by the gesture. She gently laid the piece of clothing on her enormous belly. "You know," she said, talking more to her unborn child than herself, "I remember when you were no bigger than a strawberry…"

_A few days later, Kat and Casper visited an obstetrician, Dr. Jack Kerner, at the hospital where Kat worked. He was a young man in his late thirties who seemed a little eccentric, but professional enough. Kat needed a physical examination and a sonogram scan to confirm she was pregnant. Once that was finished, Dr. Kerner told Kat she was about nine weeks pregnant because he could see the heart beating. He had frozen the image of the fetus from the scan on a computer screen, so the couple could see the tiny white dot that was their developing fetus. "So, it's true then," whispered Kat, marveling at the screen. "What is? Oh, right," said Dr. Kerner, which prompted Casper to give him a "What the fuck?" look. "I'll leave you kids alone," said Dr. Kerner, and left the room. Casper, who sat in a chair beside the exam table on which Kat lay, leaned closer and peered at the screen. "Wow," he said, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, and gazed intently at the screen. He couldn't seem to take his ice blue eyes off the image. After a few minutes, he looked up at Kat and grinned, and Kat returned the gesture. _

_After making another appointment in a few weeks' time, Casper and Kat returned home. They decided they would tell Dr. Harvey when Kat was about 14 weeks along, as she was still in the early stages of pregnancy and could miscarry. Casper and Kat decided early on that they weren't going to find out the sex of the baby. While this made shopping and preparations difficult, the couple remained steadfast in their decision—no matter how often Dr. Harvey begged them to find out. "But…I really wanna know!" he cried, both he and Casper exhausted after figuring out how to assemble a stroller. "Dad, you can wait if we can," called Kat, lounging on the sofa watching a TV show about working mothers. She seemed to be doing that more and more often these days. _

_While the men in her life did the hard work like craftsmanship, among Kat's preparations was reading pregnancy books, eating well, and trying not to go insane from raging hormones. Casper had read in one of the many books Kat bought for him on expectant fathers that pregnant women have wild cravings, but the only thing Kat really wanted was bananas…with chocolate ice cream. Casper knew he would not miss the feeling of getting up at two in the morning to get Kat the bizarre concoction, but as Kat said through mouthfuls of ice cream early one morning in bed, "It's good practice for you!" Casper rolled his eyes at this remark. Big mistake: Kat had been in a delicate emotional state, and started bawling. It took Casper five minutes to calm her down, and she eventually went back to sleep. This was fine for her, as she was on maternity leave, but Casper had to be up at six. That morning at the breakfast table, a bleary-eyed Casper dragged his feet into the room, and Dr. Harvey said, "Well, I recognize that look." Casper gave his father-in-law a dry smile as he poured himself a much needed cup of coffee. "Dad," began Casper, using the name he addressed Dr. Harvey by now, "How did you do it?" Dr. Harvey considered this, and finally said, "You mean the pregnancy or the parenting?" he queried. "Both," said Casper, taking a seat across from him at the table. "You know, come to think of it, I have no idea how the Hell I survived…but I was there for her all the time and helped as often as I could," he said in all honesty. "And that's the best advice I can give you." _

_Days turned into weeks, and before long, it was March, and Kat turned 22. After having a small birthday party in the evening with Dr. Harvey, The Trio (who were meticulously behaved, for once), and chocolate cake, Kat decided to go to bed early. She had received practical new mother items, such as a baby "Bjorn", a car seat, and large black bag for baby necessities. "So much for a baby shower. I already have just about everything I need," said Kat before she made her way upstairs. "Didn't you already have one of those?" asked Dr. Harvey in confusion. "No, Dad. That was a birthing class. One of those one-time-only deals," sighed Kat. Dr. Harvey shook his head. "Well, honey, let us know when you want a party," he said. "OK, Dad, sure thing," said Kat unenthusiastically, and went upstairs. She didn't have very many friends to celebrate with, so the idea of having a traditional baby shower made her feel a little depressed. She wondered if her Mom ever had a baby shower… _

_Once Casper and Dr. Harvey had cleaned up from the party, Casper went up to his room and found Kat missing. Slightly panicked, he checked in the bathroom, Dr. Harvey's bedroom, and the library. Finally, he found her in the nursery, gently rocking back and forth in a rocking chair. "So that's where you went," said Casper. Kat looked up and smiled, her hand resting on her belly. She thought he looked very handsome in his navy blue cable knit sweater and jeans, and she told him as much. "You look so beautiful," he murmured. "You really do. But why're you all the way up here? Are you alright?" he asked concernedly. "Yeah, I just wanted some time to think," she admitted shyly. Casper walked over to her and pulled out a small velvet box from his back pocket. Kat opened it and gasped. Nestled in satin was a diamond pendant in the shape of a star burst, which was suspended from a fine gold chain as thin as thread. "It was my Mom's," said Casper. "I thought you might like it," he admitted. "Casper, it's beautiful," said Kat in awe. She wore her engagement locket often, and was thrilled to have another piece of jewelry, especially one so significant. She gave him a kiss on the mouth in gratitude. _

"_You know," she said, struck by a thought. "Tonight is the fourth anniversary of our engagement," she said. "And now, we're having a baby." Casper walked over to Kat, stood behind the rocking chair, and placed both his hands on her middle. "I know," said Casper, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who woulda thought?" he marveled. _

_They stood in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the moment, and this would have continued if the baby had not chosen to kick at that moment. Casper's eyes widened in surprise and then asked, "What does it feel like?" Kat considered this for a second and said, "Like a gas bubble, I guess…that's the only analogy I can think of right now." _

_Casper wanted to know more. "Does it hurt?" he asked. "No, not really. But I can definitely feel it!" laughed Kat. "I want it to do it again," he said, grinning. He walked around to face her, and then crouched down on his knees. Looking at Kat's belly, he placed his hands on the top of her belly and mock shouted, "C'mon! Kick!" which caused Kat to giggle. _

_Before long, it was April, which marked Casper's 22__nd__ birthday. Well, to be completely accurate, his 111__th__ birthday. Dr. Harvey gave Casper a vintage brass alarm clock, which made Kat gasp in recognition. "Isn't that—"she started. "Yep…Great Grandpa Harvey's. He bought it in Paris in World War I, and gave it to my father, who gave it to me…and now, I want you to have it," said Dr. Harvey, smiling at Casper. "I…thanks," was all he could say. "And I thought it might come in handy when the baby comes," said Dr. Harvey. Casper and Kat exchanged knowing glances. Then Kat handed Casper a small package wrapped in black paper. Casper pulled back the wrapping to reveal a black book with no title. Intrigued, Casper raised an eyebrow, cocked his head to the side and flipped through it…only to find blank pages. Well, almost blank: there were strange phrases such as "Mother's Maiden Name". "It's a book for your family tree," explained Kat excitedly. "I thought that, since you said you were remembering so much from your past now, and that you wanted an heirloom to give to the baby…" said Kat quietly, smiling at Casper. Casper didn't day anything, just gave her a kiss on the mouth, which Kat gladly returned. After a few seconds, the couple remembered that Dr. Harvey was in the room, and broke the kiss. Both looked away from each other, embarrassed. "Oh, you kids," said Dr. Harvey. _

"_Ha! Ha! KIDS!" shouted a chorus of three voices. The Trio had arrived in a torrent of wind from the ceiling. "Hey!" shouted Casper. "How come you guys didn't screw up Kat's party?" he yelled indignantly. "Screw up? SCREW UP! Well, you were the one doin' the screwin', blubhead, if ya's knows what I mean," roared Stretch, whose remark was greeted by a round of high fives from his brothers and eye rolls from Kat and Dr. Harvey, but Casper was fuming. "Well…" he said, calming down. "Did you do anything…particularly nice?" asked Casper. "Sure, we did. We gotcha's a little somthin'," said Stinkie. Fatso pulled something out from behind his transparent back, and shouted, "Ta da!" Stretch slapped Fatso on the cheek. "Shuddap, this is Stinkie's time to talk," he grumbled. _

"_Baby's Day Out__ on DVD. Everything you wanted to know about parenting," said Stinkie, tapping the DVD case with his index finger. "Is in here!" Kat snorted in laughter. "Really?" she wanted to know. "No, just thought you might need a moment to realize what life would be like if WE raised your kid." Kat blinked and said, "You mean three idiots?", and The Trio nodded enthusiastically. "We's don't wanna get saddled with's tha little glow worm. We're too busy scaring the shit out of people," said Stretch. Kat and Casper thanked them for the unusual gift. "We also got you a diaper genie," said Fatso. Kat shouted with glee and raised her arms in the air in happiness. "Really? Yes! I've been meaning to get one of those!" Kat yelled. "Wait…did you steal it?" she said, lowering her arms down to her sides and eyeing them suspiciously. "Us? Steal? Never…we just, uh, found one." Casper sighed. "OK, guys, we believe you. Thanks." The Trio batted their eyelids. "Aw, shucks," they said in unison, and made their exit by flying through the ceiling again. _

Three months later, there was only a week left in the pregnancy. The nursery, untouched for a century, now looked like new. Everything had been arranged just as it was when Casper was a baby: the crib stood in the centre of the room, a chest of drawers and a changing table (a modern innovation that Casper's mother would have loved to use) sat side by side against one wall, and a white rocking chair rested near the large bay window which looked out onto the sea. Upon Kat's insistence, a small white bassinet was placed in Kat and Casper's bedroom for nightly use until Kat felt secure enough to leave the baby alone in the crib.

Casper and Kat had thought of a few names, either from a member of the Harvey or McFadden family, or ones they simply liked. They couldn't decide, and eventually decided to wait until they found out the sex of the baby after the delivery. 

Now there wasn't much left to do but wait…and wait Kat did. "This is driving…me…crazy!" shouted an exasperated Kat late one afternoon. She was alone in the house, terribly frustrated, and a few days overdue. The overnight bag of supplies that would accompany her to the hospital sat dormant in her bedroom. Kat was feeling stressed, even though she was told countless times that what was happening was normal. "Well, with first time mothers, some babies just need a little more time to…cook in the oven, as it were," said Dr. Kerner over the phone when Kat called on the brink of tears one day. "Don't get yourself worked up. Things will happen when they happen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a baby to deliver…well, at least I did ten minutes ago," he said absentmindedly. Kat was beginning to have second thoughts about having this guy deliver her baby, and she hoped he would have his act together when the time came. It was times like these she really wished her mother were here. There were so many things she wanted to know from another woman's perspective.

Lately, Kat had been thinking about how much giving birth would hurt. She still hasn't decided if she wanted a drug-free labour or a birth aided by an epidural. Casper was being very helpful in managing her stress by massaging her shoulders every night, and attending to her every whim. His co-workers at the architectural firm had sent flowers and champagne to the house to celebrate the impending arrival, and Dr. Harvey kept busy trying to help "baby proof" the drafty old manor, as well as keep The Trio in therapy so as not to bother Casper and Kat. Dr. Harvey seemed to be adjusting quite well to the fact that he would become a grandfather very, very soon. "You know, you were six days overdue," he told Kat at dinner one night. Kat now had to sit sideways at the table, as she couldn't fit underneath it anymore. "I was?" she asked incredulously. "Yep. Your mother had to drag me to the hospital and beg to be admitted," he said. "She and I had just about enough, and we decided it was high time for you to make your grand entrance," he stated mater-of-factly, looking at her over his silver-rimmed glasses. "Of course, your mother's water finally broke after we got to the hospital, so maybe you decided you were ready," he said, winking at her.

Just after lunch the next afternoon, Kat was again alone, sitting on the sofa watching old cartoons, her pulled up in a ponytail and wearing a maternity top and sweatpants, her ensemble of choice for the past two months when at home. She decided to get up and get a drink of water, and made her way to the kitchen. After pulling a plastic cup from the cabinet mounted near the sink, she filled the cup with water from the tap and had a drink. Suddenly, she had a feeling that something wasn't right. She looked down and noticed that one leg of her sweatpants had a dark grey trail running along one end. At first she was confused—she knew she didn't spill any water on her clothes. Then she realized what was happening—her water had broken, and the baby was on its way. "Oh, God…try not to panic, try not to panic, try not to panic…" she began chanting under her breath, as she gingerly made her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. She was beginning to feel pain. Once inside, she grabbed the overnight bag near the bedroom door, and tried to think straight. She couldn't drive in this condition, so how was she going to get help? Dr. Harvey had gone out to buy groceries an hour ago, and Casper was at work. And who knew where The Trio were…

Kat made her way over to the nightstand beside the bed, and picked up the phone. Meanwhile, Casper was at sitting at his desk at work, checking and promptly deleting spam e-mail on his lunch break. He enjoyed working on blueprints, but hated wearing the same old charcoal coloured slacks, white button-up shirt, and blue tie five times a week. He gazed at the photograph of Kat in her wedding dress that sat on his desk, next to one of Kat and Dr. Harvey. His colleague in the next cubicle over, Rodger was looking up YouTube videos of laughing pandas, _Ally McBeal_, or something equally pointless. Rodger was a bit slow on the uptake of things, which was evident by the repeated viewings of the "Dancing Baby" video from _Ally McBeal_. Casper sat slumped forward with his chin resting in the palm of his hand, his blue eyes glazed over. Suddenly, the phone rang, which caused Casper to bolt upright in his chair. He grabbed the receiver, barely registering the caller ID, and nearly shouted, "Hello? This is Casper McFadden." His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the voice on the other line. "Casper!" whispered Kat. Her voice sounded strained, as though she were in severe pain. "Kat! What is it? Is it—" Casper prompted. "Mmm-hmm," was all Kat could say. "I'm coming," Casper promised. "OK, good," said Kat, trying to sound calm, "because it's coming. I'm at home and I'll stay here as long as I can," she said. "Don't worry, I'm coming," said Casper again as he hung up the phone.

"Rodger!" shouted Casper, as he practically flew towards the cubicle next to his. "I need you to do something very important for me." Rodger looked up from watching an illegally downloaded version of _Shaun of the Dead_. "I need you to tell my supervisor," began Casper very slowly, "that my wife is having a baby, and I need to go home. Do you think you can that for me? Please?" Rodger stared at Casper a moment, his ginger hair glinting in the fluorescent light from the ceiling. "Tell your supervisor you're gonna be a Daddy. Got it," said Rodger, grinning toothily. "Thanks, buddy," said Casper, giving Rodger a quick pat on the shoulder and running off to find his car amongst the myriad of employee cars.

"Damn it, damn, damn it!" Casper swore. It took Casper a good five minutes to find the car in his panicked state. Upon laying his eyes on his decade-old deep blue VW Jetta, Casper unlocked the door as quickly as he could, and hopped in. After buckling his seatbelt and backing up, nearly crashing into another car in the process, Casper sped off down the rural road towards Friendship, going as fast as the speed limit would allow.

Meanwhile, Kat was in agony. Dr. Harvey had arrived ten minutes after she called Casper, dropping the bags of groceries in his shock of seeing Kat doubled over on the sofa. "I want to stay here," whimpered Kat. "Casper's on his way," she said. "We'll stay here as long as we can, but it probably won't be much longer," Dr. Harvey told his daughter. "How far apart are your contractions?" he asked as he seated himself next to Kat, rubbing her back. "About…every ten to fifteen minutes," said Kat through gritted teeth. "Then you still have a long way to go, but still…" Dr. Harvey trailed off. "Listen, honey," began Dr. Harvey soothingly, "if he's not here in five minutes, then we're getting in the car. You know it takes a good 35 minutes to get to the hospital. We probably should have left—" said Dr. Harvey, who was cut off by the sound of a car door slamming in the front drive way and in seconds Casper barreled through the front door, panting. "I'm…here… let's…go…" he gasped. "Oh, thank God," murmured Kat as Casper rushed to her. "Let's take my car. The keys are still in the ignition," said Casper. "Good, because we had better get a move on," said Dr. Harvey, grabbing the overnight bag with one hand and the doorknob with the other, and the three of them exited the house, Casper carefully helping Kat out the door.

Dr. Harvey was the first to reach car, and got into the driver's seat. Casper took the initiative to get into the backseat with Kat. Dr. Harvey waited until Casper had strapped Kat safely into her seat before speeding off towards the hospital in Damariscotta. The car sped by small towns, rural landscapes and coastline, but all Kat could focus on was the intense pain. Casper was unsure of what to do—he felt so out of place, and hated seeing Kat in so much pain. He decided the best thing he could do for her would be to hold her close to him and try to keep her calm and soothe her. Besides the occasional cry of agony, Kat kept relatively calm, collect and quiet. After what seemed like endless hours, they finally arrived at the hospital.

It took seconds to get out of the car, and before long Kat was in a hospital room, wiling away the hours in a hospital gown and on a fetal monitor. Once Kat had decided to go the natural route, she tried to get through her contractions sanely. Casper sat behind her and rubbed her shoulders to keep her calm. Dr. Harvey came in periodically to check on her and Casper, but found the Psychiatric ward very fascinating. He told everyone this…or tried to, at least. He made the mistake of coming to check on Kat while she was in the middle of a terrible contraction. The pain and pressure were so intense she wanted to scream. "Guys, did you see the schizophrenic—" began Dr. Harvey, but was cut off by his daughter's anguished scream. "Get the Hell out!" screamed Kat. Dr. Harvey put his hands up in surrender, and slowly back out of the room. Casper, who had been trying to nap, bolted upright in the chair he occupied next to Kat's bed, but then fell back to sleep. He couldn't blame her for snapping like that. The books he read said it would be painful…but no one said it would be torture.

During the next few hours, there were occasional visitors from nursing colleagues of Kat's, but Dr. Kerner was nowhere to be found. A maternity nurse came in every few hours to see how far along Kat was dilated. She asked for some kind of pain killer every time, going through a veritable mental pharmacy, but to no avail. Casper thought back to when his own mother had gone through childbirth. She couldn't have any pain killers, either. Then again, his father wasn't even allowed in the room, due to decency and society dictations. Casper considered himself lucky to be able to be with Kat during this time.

Fifteen pain and pressure-filled hours later, Kat was finally ten centimetres dilated. Five minutes later, Dr. Kerner came in, smiling and dressed in scrubs, ready to deliver the baby. "OK, kids. Let's get this show on the road," he said. Dr. Harvey was so nervous he decided it would be best to wait outside. Back in the room, two nurses Kat didn't recognize stood nearby and offered additional support for both the doctor and Kat, counting from one to ten for each push. Kat pushed and pushed for an hour, her hands gripping her thighs. With much encouragement from Casper, she finally heard cries from a tiny pair of lungs. Her eyes were squeezed shut from pushing, so she did not see the baby being born, and Casper was too busy holding Kat and looking at her. Dr. Kerner held up the newborn for Kat and Casper to see. "It's a girl! Congratulations!" he shouted jubilantly. Kat was so happy she became teary eyed. "A girl…a girl…" she murmured under her breath. Casper craned his neck to see where they had taken the baby. Dr. Kerner had cut the umbilical cord, and the two nurses were cleaning off the baby and taking measurements. Kat was very sweaty and looked beyond exhausted, but beautiful. After a few minutes, a nurse brought over the new baby, who was swaddled in a blanket and wearing a cap on her head. "She weighed in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 20.8 inches long," said the nurse as she handed the baby to Kat. The baby had a mass of dark hair and blue eyes, and beautiful pale skin.

"What will we named her?" asked Kat, gazing down at her new daughter. Casper tried to think of some of the girl names they had liked. "How about…" began Casper, looking at the baby. "Adela?" he asked. "I like that," said Kat. "And Amelia. Adela Amelia McFadden." With that, that was the name of the newest McFadden, and Casper was proud to have the name printed on the birth certificate.

A few minutes later, Dr. Harvey came in beaming and holding a vase full of yellow flowers. "It's a girl," shouted Casper triumphantly. Dr. Harvey walked over to his daughter to see his new granddaughter. "And what's her name?" he asked, looking down on the baby. "Adela Amelia McFadden," said Kat quietly. "She would have liked that," mused Dr. Harvey.

In two days' time, Kat and the baby went home to Whipstaff, where The Trio was waiting with a cake. Casper and Kat spent the next several weeks getting up every two hours. Casper would roll out of bed and bring the baby from the bassinet to Kat so she could be breastfed. Casper would often sit and watch from the chair near the bed, keeping the nearby rocking chair unoccupied for Kat's use —watching Kat feed their daughter gave him a happy, warm feeling, unless he fell asleep first. Casper was able to take two weeks off to help and spend time with Adela. During the day, Casper changed a lot of diapers so Kat could get some rest. Dr. Harvey enjoyed holding his granddaughter and playing with her. It had been many, many years since he had a baby to care about, and he obviously enjoyed spending time with her.

Adela slept fairly well during the night, but would wake up screaming every so often, hungry for her mother's milk. One such night, Kat woke up…only to find Casper cradling the baby and trying to keep her quiet. Casper looked so handsome with a baby in his arms. It was an endearing sight that made Kat smile into her pillow. She pretended to be asleep, enjoying watching Casper bond with his daughter through her eyelashes. That couldn't fool Casper. "You might as well join us," he said. Kat got out of bed and walked over to where Casper held the baby. Kat gently took the baby, sat down in the rocking chair, and proceeded to feed the baby. Casper pulled over the nearby chair and sat down. The two of them looked down on their daughter, happily enjoying the moment together. These early days were ones they would treasure always.


	5. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

Three months had passed. October came to Maine, and soon enough, so did Halloween. Kids from Friendship usually came trick-or-treating at Whipstaff, as they thought it the scariest place in town. In previous years, Casper usually handed out the candy with assistance from Kat, while Dr. Harvey typically was overworked from cases and took the night off. The Trio, who never failed to capitalize on an opportunity to scare, always took the time to do what they did best.

This year, however, was a little different. Kat bundled little Adela up in a light pink fleece jacket, and placed a little ghost-shaped hat on her head, and the new parents took their daughter around town. Everyone commented at how cute she looked, but of course no one was aware of the irony of Casper's child dressing as a ghost for the holiday. Christmas that year was certainly memorable. Casper and Kat were gifted with seemingly limitless baby paraphernalia, but Adela did not take much interest in the festivities, as she slept most of the day.

Months passed, and soon Adela was a year old. Her birthday had been marked by much celebration, and not much had changed about the Harvey's lives in the interim. Everyone still had their same jobs, and went about their day-to-day lives since the baby came. Kat was about to fix that. Later that hot July evening, Casper and Kat lay in bed together, Adela safely asleep in the nursery next door. "You know," Kat began. "I was thinking…"she began. Casper, who had been reading a book on baseball, looked up expectantly at his wife. "That we should make some changes…well, additions," she backtracked. "What d'you mean?" he asked. "Well, I was thinking about a very small addition, maybe…five months from now." Casper stared openmouthed at Kat. "Does that mean…" Kat nodded. "Wow," was all Casper could muster. "Things'll be great," Kat said. "I know they will," replied Casper.

Five months later, in the early morning hours, Kat gave birth to a second child, a son whom Casper and Kat named Conrad James, after both Casper and Kat's fathers, as they coincidentally shared the same first name. Adela was now able to say a few words—her first was "Dada", followed by "Mama" and the ever popular "No". The little girl embraced the idea of having a sibling at first, but was soon disenchanted with the idea when she realized that the new baby got equal, if not more, attention from her parents. Dr. Harvey was perfectly happy to have another grandchild, and doted on the new baby as he had done with Adela.

One evening, Casper and Kat sat in the living room, Adela asleep on Kat's lap, and Conrad asleep in his father's arms. It was the most perfect evening of their lives, and they looked forward to many more.


End file.
